The US Warns Russia About Its 'Significant Escalation' In Ukraine Ahead Of A Crucial Meeting

Brett LoGiurato, provided by

Published 7:59 am, Tuesday, August 26, 2014

High-profile U.S. diplomats warned Russia to halt increasing "escalation" in Ukraine on Tuesday, as Russian President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart for the first time since June.

Susan Rice, U.S. President Barack Obama's national security adviser, said late Monday night that Russia's military "incursions" into Ukraine represented a "significant escalation."

"Repeated Russian incursions into Ukraine unacceptable. Dangerous and inflammatory," she wrote on Twitter. She accused Russia of using artillery, air defense systems, tanks, and troops in the "incursions."

Geoffrey Pyatt, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, wrote on Twitter that Russia's recent moves in Ukraine "may indicate that a Russian counteroffensive is underway" in southeastern Ukraine, where fighting between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists has raged for months.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday it planned to send another aid convoy in the coming days. He said he had notified Kiev, which denied any knowledge of the plan. Meanwhile, a top Ukrainian official said Monday that a new column of Russian tanks and armored vehicles entered into Ukraine.

It all comes as Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko are meeting in Minsk, Belarus, along with other European leaders. It is the first time the two will have met face to face since June.